Budget
The budget costs associated with vote counting are linked to the larger process of setting up and running the polling and counting stations. The following information relates to the considerations that should be taken into account in planning an election budget.
Personnel Planning
The salaries and fees paid to staff and poll workers usually constitute the largest part of the election's polling day budget. Personnel costs can include:
- headquarters electoral management body staff (regular and temporary),
- field offices staff (regular and temporary),
- election officials,
- poll workers,
- substitute poll workers on stand-by,
- security personnel,
- training fees for poll workers and counting workers,
- travel fees (to attend training or to reach duty station),
- food and water or meal allowance, if long hours are required,
- overtime pay.
Using civil servants or citizens who are either volunteers or on civic duty, are ways in which to save salary costs to polling station and counting centre officials. Using the same officials in subsequent elections will decrease training costs.
Materials
Many kinds of materials must be developed and mass-produced for use in polling stations and counting centres. These include:
- training materials, which can include printed manuals, audio-video presentations, sample materials, home workbooks, and training simulations for mock elections;
- ballot papers,
- ballot boxes,
- voters' lists,
- voting screens,
- forms,
- information posters and signs,
- security devices, such as invisible ink and UV readers, if appropriate,
- any electronic devices used in polling stations or counting centres,
- information for candidates and party representatives,
- stationery items such as pens, pencils, rulers, rubber bands, envelopes, writing paper, and labels.
Choosing materials carefully can save costs. Materials that can be re-used for several electoral events, such as metal ballot boxes, may lead to cost savings, but the cost of storing materials must be taken into account. Alternatively, materials which cost less to produce, but which may only be used once, such as cardboard ballot boxes, do not have to be stored and may be cheaper. There will also be a freight component in the cost of most electoral materials. Items made locally may be cheaper than items made elsewhere, when freight is taken into account.
Ballot papers are usually expensive. Some ballot papers incorporate a security device to discourage fraudulent voting. Recent advances have reduced the cost of security printing. It is worth exploring the available options to minimize the cost of ballot papers.
Some high-tech materials, such as audio-video presentations and computers, may improve processes, but they are also usually expensive. Judgement will need to be made to determine whether the advantages of high-tech equipment are worth the cost.
Rental of Premises
Renting space for use as polling stations or counting centres can be a significant budget item. In several countries, the electoral laws allow the electoral management body to use schools and other public locations as polling stations at no cost. However, some regions may not have available public facilities, and the budget should plan for additional funds required to rent voting and counting locations.
In other countries, the electoral management body may be able to negotiate with the relevant authorities to get free access to schools and other public locations. Otherwise, there will be a need to rent space for polling stations and counting centres. The budget should provide adequately for this.
Office Equipment and Communications Fees
Necessary office equipment, such as chairs and tables, must be procured. In some cases, this equipment will be supplied by the school or other location. The election budget should cover the cost of hiring this equipment if needed. If required, more advanced equipment such as office desks, fax machines, personal computers, and phone lines for local offices, may also need to be rented and budgeted for accordingly.
In addition, telephones, including fixed phones and mobile phones, fax machines, radios, and computer lines may need to be included in the budget. Ideally, each polling station and counting centre should have the means to quickly communicate with the electoral management body to report problems, seek advice if needed, and transmit counting results.
Transport
Local conditions and common sense will indicate the most appropriate and cost-effective transport for the region concerned. Election management bodies must ensure that electoral material is transported securely, so that it is not tampered with, stolen, or destroyed. For this reason, it may be desirable to avoid public and commercial transit systems, although these can be used if appropriate.
Electoral material may be transported by motor vehicles, boats, helicopters, light aircraft, commercial aircraft, or even pack animals, depending on local circumstances. Transport is particularly difficult in remote areas, and can be very expensive.
Vehicles may be supplied by a government agency, the military, the police, or an organization such as the United Nations. If vehicles are not supplied, they may need to be rented. If necessary, the budget should include ancillary costs to cover maintenance, fuel, and insurance. The budget may also need to allow for drivers or crew.
If no vehicles are available, money for taxis and public or commercial transport should be considered.
If electoral materials have to be transported from polling stations to counting centres, or to a central location, these costs must be included in the budget.
Voter Education Programmes
Voter education programmes can be a very large part of an election budget, depending on the methods chosen and the location. Methods can range from newspapers, radio and television advertising, to posters, pamphlets, direct mail, community seminars, and the Internet.
Voter Lists
The compilation or maintenance of voter lists must be included in the budget of the relevant management body, although they may not be included in election costs.
At election times, costs will be incurred in printing and distributing voter lists for use in polling stations. Some jurisdictions process these lists after polling day to identify examples of multiple voting and, in compulsory voting countries, failure to vote. This can be done manually or electronically. These costs must be included in the budget if appropriate.
Postage and Freight
The budget must include the cost of mailing out and receiving mailing ballots (postal ballots), if they are allowed under the electoral law. Many jurisdictions provide reply-paid envelopes for ballot material. The budget should also allow for other mail to voters, such as information pamphlets, and for courier fees for sending official materials between various locations.
Software and Hardware
If specific software is developed to process or count ballots, or to process election results, development, testing, documentation, and training costs must be budgeted. The hardware required to operate the software, its deployment in the field, and the technical support required to maintain and service it will need to be included. Operational support costs, such as staff, office space and facilities, should be included as necessary.
Election Funding of Candidates and/or Parties
Some jurisdictions provide election funding to candidates and/or parties to cover some of the cost of campaigning. If appropriate, these costs should also be included in the budget.
Results Centres or Counting Rooms
Many jurisdictions have regional and/or national results centres or counting rooms. These are useful to communicate the election result to the public, the candidates, the parties, and the media, and are an important element in making the election process open and transparent. Counting rooms can be simple, with manual count boards and simple communication links by phone or fax, or they can be very sophisticated, with computer links, displays and analysis. In this electronic age, election results may also be distributed electronically by computer feeds or the Internet, with no need for a physical counting room.
In some cases, counting rooms are organized and funded by media organizations. In others, counting rooms are funded by the election management body. The election budget should include the cost of results centres or counting rooms as appropriate.
Miscellaneous Costs
Petty cash for small purchases or emergencies should be provided to the local offices of the electoral management body. Contingency measures for bigger items such as relocation of offices in case of disaster, re-deployment of electoral management body staff, and backup electrical generators should be budgeted according to local risk factors and the general operating environment.
Audit Procedures and Accountability
Suitable audit procedures should be in place to ensure that staff responsible for managing funds are fully accountable and are not able to appropriate funds illegally. Records of all valuable assets should be kept to ensure that assets are not disposed of illegally or declared 'lost.' Election officials should be aware that they are accountable for the funds and goods under their control, and they should be aware of the penalties for misusing their position.
For more details and complementary information, please refer to Cost Considerations in the Electoral Management topic area and Cost Considerations in Voting Operations.
